Friday, July 30, 2010

Gom Jabbar

Oh, pain.
The pain.
Holding your hand in the gom jabar
hurts--does not harm.
It begins to burn.
We're well beyond thresholds now
and into endurance.
Learning the difference between
desiring a thing
and reaching to grasp it:
is it the pain or the fear
that kills the mind?

3 comments:

After reviewing Dune, the gom jabbar is not the box itself but the poisoned needle that enforces it. (I wrote this when being reminded of Dune due to a seemingly parallel situation, minus the death part.)Perhaps a revision:

Oh, pain.The pain.Holding your hand testing the gom jabbarhurts--does not harm.It begins to burn.We're well beyond thresholds nowand into endurance.Learning the difference betweendesiring a thingand reaching to grasp it:is it the pain or the fearthat kills the mind?

Oh, pain.The pain!Holding your hand,tested by gom jabbar,hurts--does not harm.It begins to burn;Skin you know blisters,Lost is the flesh you love,Blackened to crippledom;Dragged well beyondThe threshold of painInto its inner sanctum.Learning in reverse The difference betweenDesiring a thingAnd reaching to grasp it:Is it the pain or the fearThat kills the mind?